‘The Voice’ Taught Craig Wayne Boyd to Stay True to Himself

Craig Wayne Boyd learned many lessons during his tenure on The Voice, but none more valuable than learning how to be himself.

It was this advice he got from both Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani that helped earn him the crown at the end of Season 7. As a member of both their teams, Boyd credits the superstars with helping him find himself and embracing that, even as he evolves over time.

"Blake was the one that really pushed me to stick to my guns and be myself. And I think Gwen was the one that helped me find myself in the fact that she said 'don't pigeonhole yourself in to just being one thing," Boyd explains to Taste of Country. "Whatever it is that you're feeling at the moment, don't be scared of that.'"

It's these lessons that helped shape Boyd into the artist he is today, not allowing the harsh opinions of the industry to dictate his artistry. This sense of self is reflected in his current album, Top Shelf, which blends a myriad of genres and influences to create a sound that's distinctly Boyd's.

"There's so many folks in the music industry that try to tell you 'Well, this is country,' or 'this is country;' it's all these different thoughts. And with this album...you can tell that there's a lot of different influences there, but they're all distinctly country in their own rights," he says. "That's something that I got from The Voice: To just embrace who I am musically and who I am as a person. And that music's going to change, because we do change as people, but to embrace it every moment."

Top Shelf marks Boyd's first album release since winning The Voice in 2014.